Increase The SEER of Your Existing System

The Air Conditioning Industry has failed to let people know that they can increase the SEER of their existing Air Conditioning System.   It is referred to as Field Adjusted SEER [SEERFA].  You can increase SEER the same way you can increase MPG.   The way you maintain and operate your system has everything to do with how much you spend,  or how much “cooling” you get for what you spend.  In many cases, the cost of running an Air Conditioner can be cut in half.

       When you run your Air Conditioner at night it is like a car going downhill getting great gas mileage.  The Air Conditioning Industry, along with the Energy Industry, will only suggest raising the thermostat to save money.  What they fail to tell you is when to do so.   Raising it during the hottest part of the day will result in significant savings.  Raising it at night will result in little or no savings depending on when you lower it.  Once the heat load stops coming in from outside as the nighttime temperature becomes lower than the indoor temperature, the only heat load to deal with will be from what is already in the building and what is being generated inside.  That heat will eventually have to be dealt with.  It is best to deal with it at night when the system is the most efficient, rather than dealing with it in the morning hours as the outside temperatures will only get higher.   
     The fan should be set to the “Auto” position so that it will come on and go off with the compressor when the thermostat calls for cooling.    This will maximize

      The largest gains in SEER can be realized through Field Adjustments.  Many times what is needed is proper maintenance and refrigerant charge.  Sometimes the system configuration  settings are not correct.   These are settings that should be made at the time of installation but are often not properly addressed. 
(See Field Adjusted SEER)        

    One of the many scams in the industry is selling people new systems when they do not need them.  Some companies have salesman for this purpose, and it is not uncommon for  companies to pay their service “technicians” a commission for telling the customer they need a new system which should obviously be a conflict of interest.  Some people start thinking about a new higher efficiency Air Conditioner as their electric bill continues to rise.  After getting the new system they see their electric bill plummet and conclude that it was the right choice.   The sad part is that in most cases the option of lowering the SEER on their existing equipment was never offered, or even discussed as an option, as there is more money in replacing a system than repairing one.  As a result, the New Equipment SEER is being compared to the efficiency of the existing system that was in need of repair.
    Sometimes there is enough damage to a system, or it is so old, where it would not be cost-effective to increase its current SEER.  So if it’s time for a new system, it’s important to note that the SEER Rating of New Equipment is as only as good as the installing contractor.